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Trigora has just been awarded a $70,000 grant for SoftwareShortlist.com, as part of the Commercialising Emerging Technology (COMET) program.
COMET is a competitive, merit based program that supports individuals, early-growth stage and spin off companies to improve their potential for successful commercialisation of their innovation. It is administered by AusIndustry (part of the Australian Federal Government’s Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) with support provided through a network of private sector COMET business advisors.
Obviously we’re very pleased about this!
The COMET grant will accelerate our efforts with SoftwareShortlist.com, enabling us to tap into expertise in key areas of the business. We will initially focus on market research and validation studies, in collaboration with selected partners and suppliers. And the timing is perfect, with our beta launch due at the start of February.
The COMET grant also means we are well placed to extend upon our IP strategy. Working with Duncan Bucknell we have lodged provisional patent applications in Australia and the US – but we can now proceed confidently with the full (PCT) patent applications, wider trademark protection, and other IP issues.
Trigora is also assembling an advisory board to raise our governance standards, give us access to expert input, and challenge our thinking with fresh perspectives. Plus co-founders Craig and Xavier will participate in the ANZATECH Gateway to the US program, culminating in a 3 day summit in Silicon Valley in October.
So, a big thanks from us to AusIndustry, the Australian Government, and of course our COMET business advisor Jim Paulyshyn. It’s going to be a big year!
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Firstly, thanks to all who have got in touch with us about our alliance partner program. The response to has been very strong, and we are discussing potential arrangements in a range of vertical markets and specialist areas with people from around the world — including US, Israel, Romania, Singapore, and Australia. We see alliances as an important part of our overall strategy — so if you see a good fit between your business and ours, please get in touch.
In other news, it’s been a busy month since our last blog post. While we had hoped to be live before now, the decision has been made to set up additional content and products before turning on the platform, which means we will launch early in 2009.
Key outcomes in the past month include:
- Our web platform is ready to go, with testing finalised and hosting in the US.
- The setting up of software vendors on the system is well underway, with a healthy number on board for Time Tracking; and Farm Management software.
- Step-by-step guidelines for vendors have been written as part of this process, including Vendor Sign-up Activities and Setting up Google Analytics.
- A base of articles have been commissioned on specific software topics. This will be expanded over time – and you can submit your own for inclusion too.
- Initial work has also started on reviewing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Accounting software for small to medium businesses. An interim report has been sent out to participants in our CRM software survey, and this research is continuing so if you haven’t taken part yet, please do so.
We have also been reviewing and updating our business plan. It’s been a year since we first wrote it, and while the fundamentals still hold true, there have been a number of important changes and lessons learned since then. Among other things, an advisory board is being put in place to provide us with expert input on key areas, provide a fresh perspective, and to challenge our thinking on the business.
There is also some other exciting news in the pipeline. We can’t reveal details just yet but stay tuned…
So, from all of us at SoftwareShortlist, have a wonderful Christmas and festive season. We’ll see you in the new year!
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Today we’re pleased to be able to show you a sneak peek at SoftwareShortlist.com. But first, a quick update…
Recent progress
Final testing is wrapping up this week, our provisional patents were filed yesterday, and hosting has been arranged. We’ve received great support from vendors and we will spend the next few weeks setting up all the necessary content in our first few niches. Beta launch should occur mid to late November.
A glimpse at SoftwareShortlist.com
(Note: the specific content shown below is fictional and for testing purposes only, hence the blurred out logos and text)
Homepage for SoftwareShortlist
Example Results Page
Here are two screenshots from our staging site showing (1) Home Page (2) Results comparison page.
The home page is the start of the software selection process, which essentially involves a quick yet robust online “interview” for the user about their software requirements. After providing this information, the user is shown a recommended shortlist of software tailored to their needs.
As you can see, we have focused on providing an easy side-by-side comparison of the software. Results can be saved for later retrieval, or emailed to others who may be involved in the decision process. Detailed product information is available by clicking on any of the solutions shown, from which the user can also visit the vendor website, ask to be contacted, or purchase the software.
We look forward to unveiling the full site very soon…
